Rumors are flying in Happy Valley that Penn State will name true freshman Robert Bolden as its starting quarterback. (Expect Penn State to name the starter on Wednesday.)

Bolden, as we know, has the least experience among all four quarterbacks who were in the mix at the beginning of preseason camp. But Bolden, who is from Michigan, has leapfrogged up the depth chart.

Is there precedent for Penn State to start a true freshman at quarterback the first game of the year? No. That's almost sacrilegious for JoePa.

But there is precedent for a true frosh to get the job later in the season.

So, if the Penn State staff thinks Bolden is the most talented of the group, why not get him in there from the start, at least so he has some experience for Alabama next Saturday and then for the Big Ten schedule later on.

So, that's my prediction: Bolden as the starter. Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin will play some, too. But if Bolden does well, say, for the first half of the season, then Newsome and Paul Jones will have some big decisions to make about their futures.

Alabama running back Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, will miss Saturday's season-opener against San Jose State and could miss the Week 2 game against Penn State, head coach Nick Saban announced Tuesday.

Here's the statement from Saban:

"Mark Ingram sustained a left knee injury late in Monday's practice. It was a situation where everyone involved thought it would be better to take care of now, so he would not have any issues with it later in the season.

"Mark had an arthroscopic procedure this morning with Dr. Cain and Dr. Andrews and it was successful. We have full confidence in our medical staff and we know the doctors and athletic trainers will do an outstanding job in taking care of Mark and assisting him in his rehab.

"Mark will definitely be out for this week's game against San Jose State and we will manage this on a week to week basis beyond this week. We will make every decision in the future based on what's best for Mark and his career as we consult with Dr. Cain and Dr. Andrews on his progress. This is not an injury that will affect Mark's future ability to make a full recovery in a relatively short time frame."

The Youngstown Vindicator has a good story on Youngstown State's visit to Penn State this Saturday (read it here). Among the highlights:

Youngstown State received $450,000 from Penn State for the visit. The Penguins play one of these cash games per year (also at Pitt, Ohio State and Penn State in the past) and make between $250,000 and $650,000.

Since the NCAA approved 12-game schedules in 2005, Penn State athletic director Tim Curley said, "There was a mad scramble for opponents. The guarantees went from $450,000-$500,000 to $850,000 to $1 million."

Former Penn State offensive lineman Andrew Radakovich is the starting left tackle for Youngstown State. Radakovich, who is from Steubenville, Ohio, redshirted at Penn State in 2008 before transferring last year. He started nine games for the Penguins. After learning he would be returning to Penn State, Radakovich immediately called some former teammates, including defensive end Jack Crawford and offensive lineman DeOn'tae Pannell.

“I told them the Penguins are coming up and are going to end their season quickly,” said Radakovich. “They say there’s no way that’s happening. “I’m pretty sure they’re looking more toward the Crimson Tide than the Crimson Penguins.”

The Oakland Raiders on Monday released former Penn State tight end Tony Stewart. The Central Catholic graduate caught 21 passes in his three seasons with the Raiders.

Stewart, who the Eagles drafted in the fifth round in 2001, fought through an ankle injury this preason while vying for the Raiders' No. 3 tight end spot. He is a nine-year NFL veteran, having played in Cincinnati for four seasons before joining Oakland.

Stewart, 31, was a popular player among local charities in Cincinnati and Oakland and also served as the Raiders' NFL Players Association player representative.

If he doesn't sign with another team, Stewart might be destined for the television or radio booth. Last year he participated in the NFL's Broadcast Boot Camp.

Joe Paterno isn't tipping much of anything with his sanctioned depth chart, released Sunday, for the Sept. 4 season-opener against Youngstown State. In particular, the named starters at quarterback (Matt McGloin OR Kevin Newsome OR Robert Bolden) reveal little. The top three are listed in chronological order, for crying out loud, and Paul Jones reportedly is on track for a redshirt.

The prediction here is that Newsome starts Saturday against the Penguins, though that may be role-playing semantics. Newsome, McGloin and Bolden all will get snaps in the first game.

Otherwise, here's a look at the offensive depth chart, with a few notes to follow.

At left guard, Pannell and Troutman both had extra eyes on them during preseason drills. Troutman was among Penn State's better linemen last year and needs to find a place in the rotation. Klopacz retaining the center spot from spring is a good sign -- for now.

Andrew Szczerba, Penn State's most experienced tight end, doesn't appear on the depth chart because of a lingering injury. That's a concern, since neither of the top two players at the position have been on the field yet. This might produce creative uses of receiver Brett Brackett or 237-pound running back Curtis Dukes. It also might require more field time for Green, who offensive coordinator Galen Hall called the team's best pass blocker.

The depth of potential at wide receiver is striking, even without the injured Curtis Drake. Moye and Zug are proven pass-catchers, while Brown, Kersey and Moseby-Felder can make moves in Drake's absence. Smith showed last year he can be shifted around the field in a variety of ways.

The starting defensive line of Crawford, Ogbu, Still and Latimore is this team's strength by far. Position coach Larry Johnson Sr. might not be tinkering with the line as much as he has in the past.

Linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, however, will be tinkering more, with a six-deep group of players. Mauti will find his way onto the field quite a bit, even if he doesn't start against Youngstown State. Hodges will as well.

In the secondary, Powell ahead of Morris is due to the neck injury Morris sustained early in drills. Morris likely will be eased back into the lineup. Depth at the safety spots seems shaky.

Fera's shift from kicker to punter appears complete. Barring obstacles, he could be a four-year starter at punter and also handle some kicking duties. He likely will handle kickoffs for the Lions this season.

On the punt return team, a strategy change seems to have occurred. Though Astorino remains listed, likely in his fair-catch role, Brown and Smith bring a more-aggressive approach to the group. As in, actually returning punts for yardage.

For the past year, Allentown’s Warren Armstrong has been campaigning for Penn State to name the Beaver Stadium football field after Joe Paterno. It would be renamed as Joe Paterno Field at Beaver Stadium.

Armstrong is now turning up his efforts to get the stadium renamed, in part because this could be JoePa’s last year or two of coaching. Armstrong says he has talked to more than 600 people about the idea and virtually everyone is in favor of the idea. (That's JoePa in the middle, at left, signing autographs during an appearance in the Lehigh Valley last year.)

Armstrong is asking Penn State fans to write letters to both the president and the director of athletics at Penn State. Armstrong provides the addresses:

Armstrong cites an interview of Paterno last year in which JoePa was asked about the idea to rename the field in his honor. JoePa, of course, said that decision was for others to decide, but he did say he would be flattered.

So, count me in favor of the idea. (Personally, they ought to name the entire university after JoePa, considering all he has done for not only the football program but the overall Penn State community. And I’m only half-kidding about that.)

Analysis: Penn State needs to run the table of its home games and beat Minnesota on the road.

Key stretch: The season could turn on eight days in October: the Oct. 23 game at Minnesota after Penn State's bye week, and the Oct. 30 home game vs. former nemesis Michigan, which by then could be back as a Big Ten power.

Possible stunner: I am holding out small hope for an upset at Iowa in Game Five, but that might be too much to ask for the young Penn State quarterback(s) and offensive line in a hostile night-game environment. Maybe if they played later in the season ...

Prediction: 8-4 as young QBs and/or bad offensive line cause at least one unexpected loss.

Penn State is ranked 19th in the just-released first Associated Press Top 25 poll of the season, and that feels about right or maybe a smidge too low.

Alabama, as expected, is a runaway No. 1 in the AP poll, with Ohio State No. 2 and Iowa at No. 9. Bama was 1, Ohio State 2 and Iowa 10 in the first USA Today/Coaches poll released a couple of weeks ago. As we all know, Penn State plays all three on the road this season.

Penn State was 14th in the USA Today poll, which seemed a bit high.

Also of note in the AP poll: Nebraska was No. 8, Wisconsin was 12, Pitt 15, Florida State 20, LSU 21 and West Virginia 25. Penn State does not play Wisconsin this year.

In quite a stunner for Penn State fans, Nittany Lion coaches have decided to redshirt true freshman Paul Jones and not classmate Robert Bolden, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Both are highly touted quarterbacks.

Jones, though, enrolled early last January and had a good game in the Blue-White Game in the spring. Many thought he was pushing for the starting QB job. Bolden, from Michigan, apparently has had an excellent camp since practice began this month but is raw to the offense.

Also at QB are true soph Kevin Newsome, the favorite to be the opening day starter, and redshirt soph Matt McGloin.

What does it all mean? If Newsome wins the job, Jones potentially could have two years as a starter at the end of his career, particularly if Bolden never beats out Newsome. However, if Bolden leapfrogs Newsome this year, both Jones and Newsome could transfer. Like the Pat Devlin situation, both Jones and Newsome top-flight recruits who will not settle to ride the pine all or nearly all of their careers.

We're getting way, way ahead of ourselves, but since Jones is from the Pittsburgh area, could he eventually be a Pitt Panther? And at Penn State, are we looking at a four-year starter in Bolden with McGloin as the backup? (If so, Penn State would have to target a 4-star QB in the 2012 recruiting class.)

Penn State athletic director Tim Curley said he is not concerned about health issues curtailing Joe Paterno’s schedule and that he expects the head coach to complete the season.

“At this point, sure,” Curley said Thursday. “Preseason practice is going well, and when I left the other day he was doing well.”

Curley also said that he has considered contingency plans if Paterno is unable to coach.

“You’re always looking at options and contingencies for everything, so certainly that is something I have to be thinking about,” Curley said. “But it’s nothing I would announce publicly.”

Regarding conference realignment, Curley said that the Big Ten plans to announce its divisional setup within the next month. He said that key points of the discussions are competitive balance and retaining traditional rivalries.

Curley was in Allentown on Thursday as part of a day-long tour promoting the Big Ten Network. Curley and network president Mark Silverman are lobbying customers of Blue Ridge Cable to request the Big Ten Network be added to the company’s expanded-basic cable package. Blue Ridge is one of three Pennsylvania cable companies that does not offer the Big Ten Network.

Following their stop in Allentown, Curley and Silverman appeared in Lancaster, another area served by Blue Ridge Cable.

On its own, Wednesday's verbal by 4-star cornerback prospect Kyshoen Jarrett to Pitt and not to Penn State will not severely wound the Nittany Lion program.

But grouped with other recruiting failures in recent months, it means it is almost time to panic about Penn State's 2011 recruiting class. As of this writing, Penn State has just four commitments, and only two are 4-star prospects in guard Angelo Mangiro of New Jersey and defensive end Shawn Oakman of Lansdowne near Philadelphia.

True, Penn State has only about 15 scholarships to offer this recruiting cycle, but fans would feel a lot better if the Lions had at least eight verbal commitments by now. In particular, I would love to see verbals from some 4-star defensive tackles and more offensive linemen.

Quarterback is not a recruiting priority. Running back probably is not. The secondary is not. Linebacker is not. Wide receiver is not but will be next year. Regardless, it's always good to land athletes such as Jarrett of East Stroudsburg South High School. Generally, regardless of needs, you need to pick off a wideout and a D-back and a running back every year just to keep the pipeline full. And you always -- always -- want to see at least two top-shelf O-linemen and D-linemen every recruiting class.

Since the 2008 Class, the Lehigh Valley and District 11 of Pennsylvania has been a fertile area for Pitt. Besides Jarrett, Pitt has landed defensive back Jarred Holley of Easton, quarterback Anthony Gonzalez of Liberty and wide receiver Devin Street of Liberty.

Penn State, meanwhile, has landed none from the area.

For the Nittany Lion coaches, it's time to pick it up, and not just in the Lehigh Valley region.

Kyshoen Jarrett, a senior cornerback at East Stroudsburg South, announced Wednesday that he has made an oral commitment to play football at the University of Pittsburgh.

Jarrett is among the top-ranked high school prospects in Pennsylvania, a three-year starter for the Cavaliers and a two-time all-Mountain Valley Conference selection. He made 88 tackles and six interceptions in the past two seasons.

Jarrett chose Pitt from a list of 17 schools that offered him scholarships. During his announcement at the school district’s administration center, Jarrett selected a Pitt hat from a group of four finalists that included Virginia Tech, Michigan and Penn State.

“Pitt was the first to contact me and the first to offer me, but they never rushed me,” Jarrett said. “Even when they had 13 scholarships taken and onlyone or two more, they just said make the best choice for you. Things opened up, I prayed on it, and this is my decision.”

Jarrett, the No. 3 recruit in Pennsylvania this year according to Scout.com, is the state’s fifth top-10 player to commit to the Panthers. He called head coach Dave Wannstedt last week with the decision.

“We’re going to go there and do some major things for Pitt,” Jarrett said. “There are a lot of Pennsylvania guys going to Pitt, and it’s going to be big.”

Four-star cornerback Kyshoen Jarrett of East Stroudsburg South High School this afternoon gave a verbal commitment to Pitt, snubbing Penn State.

The 5-11, 182-pound Jarrett apparently also had Penn State in his final two, and also had offers from Michigan, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and Stanford, among other schools. He is rated by rivals.com as the 13th best cornerback prospect in the nation.

A New York Times blog today takes a look at Penn State and lists five likes and dislikes.

The blogger, Paul Myerberg, likes Penn State’s wide receivers, Evan Royster, defensive ends, secondary and coaching. He does not like the offensive line, the unsettled quarterback situation, the young linebackers and Penn State’s schedule with three automatic losses, and wonders if the Lions will be able to replace defensive tackle Jared Odrick.

Here’s my analysis: QB is a question mark, secondary is experienced but I still question it, receivers are not that loaded, linebackers will be good if not great, the D-line will be just fine, the offensive line is a crapshoot, Royster will get Penn State’s career rushing record but he’s no Curt Warner, and, finally, Iowa is not an automatic loss.

Overall, the New York Times ranks Penn State at No. 18.

For the New York Times blog, which is part of a well-done series, click here.

Kyshoen Jarrett of East Stroudsburg South is
scheduled to make his college announcement Wednesday. The school has set up a
ceremony at 3 p.m. at its Administration Center.

Jarrett
has offers from nearly 20 schools, including Illinois, Maryland, Michigan,
Stanford, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech. He is expected, however, to choose between Penn
State and Pitt.

The
5-11, 175-pound defensive back is a three-year starter at East Stroudsburg
South and a two-time all-Mountain Valley Conference selection. He has 88
tackles and six interceptions the past two seasons.

The Big Ten Network’s Penn State Football Preview Show will debut at 8 p.m. Wednesday on the network – a night dedicated to nine hours of Nittany Lion football on the network. The preview show will include interviews with coaches and players, including defensive end Jack Crawford, wide receiver Derek Moye and guard Stefen Wisniewski.

The night begins with a replay of Penn State’s January 2006 Orange Bowl victory over Florida State, followed by debut of the one-hour Penn State Preview Show.

At 9 p.m. is a replay of the Nittany Lions’ 19-17 win over LSU in last January’s Capital One Bowl, followed at 11 with a replay of the preview show. At midnight, Penn State’s 29-27 comeback victory over Ohio State in 2001 will be replayed. In that game, Joe Paterno passed Bear Bryant as the all-time wins leader in Division I college football. Finally, the preview show will air again at 2 a.m.

Other air times for the Penn State Football Preview Show: 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday, with a 2 p.m. replay Thursday of Penn State’s 27-23 victory over Georgia in January 1983 in the Sugar Bowl. That victory secured Penn State’s first of two national championships.

The Big Ten Network visited Penn State's practice on Wednesday, and analyst Gerry DiNardo filed this breakdown. DiNardo, a former coach at Indiana, mentions quarterback Robert Bolden as the standout of the group. Video courtesy the Big Ten Network.

Big Ten Network commentator and former college head coach Gerry DiNardo says that true freshman Robert Bolden has the most ability among the four quarterbacks vying for the Penn State starting job.

Bolden, DiNardo says, is the best passer and runner -- but might not have had enough time to learn the Penn State offense.

Bolden, sophomore Kevin Newsome, sophomore Matt McGloin and true freshman Paul Jones are all in Penn State's quarterback derby. Jones enrolled early and had a nice game in the Blue-White Game in the spring. So, of all four quarterbacks, Bolden has the least collegiate experience.

My prediction: Newsome earns the starting job but loses it in late September-early October when Jones takes over. Bolden redshirts and Newsome eventually transfers. McGloin remains a backup throughout his career. (If Jones falters this year, too, Bolden could get a chance. Regardless, look for Jones and Bolden to emerge as the top two QBs.)

Sophomore slot receiver Curtis Drake broke his left tibia during practice on Monday and will miss at least the first two games of Penn State’s season, media outlets are reporting.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the leg injury occurred while Drake was running, and it was a noncontact situation. He could be out six to eight weeks after surgery, and if Drake’s absence goes deep into October, it is possible that he will be red-shirted.

Drake played last year as a true freshman, moving up the depth chart in the second half of the season as he flashed speed and playmaking ability. He had been listed second behind senior Brett Brackett on this year’s depth chart at slot receiver, and was likely to see a lot of action.

Indeed, Drake’s emergence last season was a factor in Chaz Powell’s offseason position switch from receiver to defensive back. The injury could mean that sophomore Devon Smith will see more playing time at slot, at least for the first half of the year. Smith was an up-and-comer early last year as a true frosh before Drake -- pictured above during the Capital One Bowl in January -- leapfrogged him on the depth chart.

Two Penn State players have been named to the watch list for national awards.

Senior tailback Evan Royster, who in October likely will become Penn State's career rushing leader, is on the watch list for the Walter Camp player of the year award and the Maxwell Award. Both nominations are for a second consecutive year. Both awards are for college football's player of the year.

Junior defensive end Jack Crawford, meanwhile, has been nominated for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive player.

Crawford's nomination is a bit of a surprise, having only become a starter last year. However, Penn State has a recent reputation for turning out top defensive ends.

Penn State enters the 2010 season ranked No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches preseason poll, which was announced today.

That's the good news.

The bad: Penn State faces three top-ten teams on the road: top-ranked Alabama, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 10 Iowa.

Most Nittany Lion fans have penciled in a loss at Alabama, a likely loss at Ohio State and a bit less likely loss at Iowa.

It might all depend on how fast Penn State's offensive line and quarterback hit stride.

Another Big Ten team, Wisconsin, is No. 12, while future Big Ten member Nebraska is No. 9. Penn State does not play Wisconsin this year.

Also of note: Pitt is ranked at No. 15, LSU at No. 16, Florida State at No. 20 and West Virginia at tied for No. 24.

ON TV: The Big Ten Network will air its recent interview with Penn State coach Joe Paterno and all Big Ten head coaches during its Big Ten Football Kickoff Special, which debuts at 2 p.m. this Saturday. The show will be rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Saturday, followed at 8 p.m. by a replay of Penn State's Capital One Bowl victory over LSU in January.

The network's kickoff special then re-airs at 6, 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

The
Chicago Tribune filed this story regarding Big Ten alignment, with an interesting
perspective from Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez. Basically, Alvarez
says that the idea of having Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State in one division isn’t
that far-fetched.

Some
initial breakdowns had the conference splitting four schools this way: Penn
State and Nebraska in one division, Ohio State and Michigan in another. But
Alvarez says that Wisconsin and Iowa need to be factored into that equation,
and a division with Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa isn’t feasible.

"You
have six teams that have separated themselves," Alvarez told told the
Tribune. "You can't have four in one division."

According
to Alvarez, conference wins by team since 1993 (when Penn State joined) could
be a dividing point. The stats break down like this:

Tier
1: Ohio State (106), Nebraska (98), Michigan (94)

Tier
2: Penn State (86), Wisconsin (79), Iowa (71).

Tier
3: Purdue (63), Michigan State (63), Northwestern (59).

Tier
4: Illinois (45), Minnesota (44), Indiana (33).

In
that context, according to the Tribune, realignment could go this way:

Penn State began preseason drills Thursday afternoon, its first of 29 allowable practice sessions before the season opener Sept. 4 against Youngstown State.

The NCAA has a laundry list of rules for Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools to follow during the preseason. For instance, schools are limited to 29 practices in the 40 days prior to their opening game. Two-a-days count as two sessions, which is why most teams open about a month prior to the season.

As the Lions get started, here’s a primer on what they’re allowed to do in the next month, per the 2010-11 NCAA Manual.

17.9.2.1.2– Roster limits: Teams are allowed to practice with 105 players prior to their first game. Service academies are exempt from this rule.

17.9.2.3 – Orientation period: The NCAA mandates a five-day “acclimatization period,” during which two-a-days are not permitted. In addition, players are limited to wearing just helmets the first two days. They can add shoulder pads the next two days and full pads on the fifth day.

17.9.2.4– Limiting hours: After the five-day orientation, teams can begin holding two-a-days but not on consecutive days. Single-practice days are limited to three hours, and two-a-days can’t go longer than five hours total. Two-a-day sessions require a three-hour break away from football (no meetings, film sessions or lifting). Medical treatment and meals are allowable team activities during the break.

According to this framework, Penn State is allowed to practice in full pads as early as Monday and allowed to begin two-a-days as early as Tuesday.

For one of the few times I can recall in watching Joe Paterno for about 40 years, he looks and acts old.

Clips of JoePa, who is in Chicago for Big Ten Media Days, have been shown today on media outlets, and the old coach finally looks the part. Joe might have said he felt "really good," but he looked a lot thinner, his voice was low and he even appeared to mumble his words at least once.

I am hoping that the big reason for his languid appearance is that he is still on the way back from his bout of intestinal troubles this past spring and summer.

Let's hope by opening day in September, JoePa will have fully regained his zest.